16 PROCTOR | February 2017
Boyhood dreams become ocean-going reality
Brisbane solicitor Steve Kerin and wife
Stephanie, pictured, competed in the
2016 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
in Stephanie’s Dk46 yacht, Dekadence.
Steve managed to keep his business,
Kerin Lawyers, ticking along while preparing
Dekadence for the big race. With Stephanie as
office manager, they had been dividing their time
between work and the huge task of organising
the boat, crew and the paperwork just to enter.
In the 2015 race, the yacht was forced to retire.
“That was disappointing,” Stephanie said.
“Dekadence had successfully survived the
first night, during which there was 56 knots
over the deck and 12 to 14-metre seas.
Having successfully pumped out about two
tons of water on a nine-ton yacht, it was very
disappointing to have to turn around, and
that necessity inspired better preparation for
this year’s race to complete the journey.”
This year’s finish was a culmination of two
years of preparation and the dream of an
11-year-old boy who sat on the beach at
Sandy Bay south of Hobart watching Sydney
to Hobart yachts tack less than 10 metres
in front of him. Since that time Steve has
nursed a desire to race the Hobart.
Finishing the 2016 race brought with it a
bonus in that Stephanie finished as the first
female skipper over the line and in doing
so won the Jane Tate Memorial Trophy.
Steve started sailing in his early teens when
he was living in Hobart. He and Stephanie
purchased a Rainbow sailing boat when they
were at the University of Tasmania, and Steve
sailed occasionally in keel boats in his early 20s.
Around six years ago Steve and Stephanie,
along with fellow solicitor John Horrocks and
wife Leanne – purchased a Bavaria 38 cruiser.
This was good for a while, but a bigger boat
was soon purchased, a Bavaria 42, which
was raced in the Royal Queensland Yacht
Squadron’s Wednesday Afternoon Go Sailing
(WAGS) races.Some 31⁄2 years ago Steve
had a tumour removed from the middle of his
spine. Fortunately it was benign and he was
at home recuperating when the America’s
Cup was on. He became inspired and decided
that the time was right to buy a race boat.
Steve enlisted the help of his father-in-law,
who has sailed offshore for decades and
competed in the Sydney to Hobart, to find
a boat that would get to Hobart safely. The
46-foot Dekadence was purchased. There
was very steep learning curve going from
a conservative cruiser to a racer/cruiser –
a sophisticated machine with a big sail
plan requiring a crew of 12.
The boat is sailed with a nucleus of mates from
Commercial Rowing Club, who have also been
sailors in the past.Over the past two seasons
Dekadence received a significant refurbishment,
including refairing the hull, repainting the top
sides and deck, reseating all the fixtures and
fittings, upgrading deck hardware and rigging.
Prior to this race, sailmakers Evolution made a
complete new downwind wardrobe, including
a significant larger, light-weather ‘Code Zero’.
The new Code Zero proved worthwhile when
put up in this year’s race, digging Dekadence
out of a couple of wind holes where the jellyfish
were going faster than the boat!
“All of the experts are saying that this year’s
race was a light-weather dream run,” Stephanie
said. “But going from Tasman Island to Cape
Raoul there were three to four-metre seas,
28 knots with larger gusts on the run. The boat
broached (knocked over to go flat on the water)
four times, even with the smallest spinnaker up
(the ‘chicken shute’) and Dekadence hit just
under 18 knots in boat speed. It was a fantastic
fun ride and everyone on board really enjoyed
the conditions.
“The most difficult and challenging part of
this year’s race was the organisation of the
campaign, including boat preparation, gear
transport and crew organisation – getting
everything to and from Hobart.
“Getting your head around the idea that you
are good enough to compete in one of the
world’s great ocean races is also a big thing.”
The most exciting part of the race was the
start. Sailing master Peter Walsh, competing
in his 21st Sydney to Hobart, and tactician
Dr Dave Austin, a highly experienced New
Zealand ocean racer, helped enormously in
keeping a lookout and calling the tactics so
that the boat got a good start. All on board
learnt new descriptive words only yachties
could understand.
“The most emotional part of the race was
the finish,” Stephanie said. “The wind died
out with a mile to go and Dekadence literally
drifted over the line.
“Steve drove the boat along the Hobart
wharf at the Taste of Tasmania, to a standing
ovation ‘rock star’-type reception. Family
and friends clapped, cheered and screamed.”
The late Roger Hickman, doyen of ocean
racers, always said the Sydney to Hobart
was to Sydney people all about the start,
but to sailors and competitors it’s all about
the finish in Hobart, pictured below. Steve
and Stephanie fully agree.
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